2013 | Release the A.P.E.

How Do You Plant 3 Ministries in One Day?

4 responses
January 25, 2013

network map of students at Lincoln Nebraska

[This post is part of the Start Something New series. Read the other posts here!]

By Shawn Young

One of the contributing writers on Releasetheape.com is Eric Rafferty. He and his wife Stacey were selected to participate in InterVarsity’s national planting cohort 3 years ago and have launched a thriving student ministry at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Recently I heard a rumor that Eric had visited another college in Lincoln, NE and managed to launch 3 new missional student communities in one day. Yes. You read that right. In fact, he launched a Black Student Ministry, an International Student Ministry, and a Greek Student Ministry.

I work with hundreds of the most talented ministry leaders in the country and they know how hard it can be to get just one student ministry to launch. So I asked him to speak with me and several other leaders about how it happened. The more Eric talked, the more I realized that we were listening to the pure mojo of a genuine apostolic-evangelistic leader. But I firmly believe that much of what Eric does instinctively can be learned and passed on to all of us—the whole church is strengthened for God’s mission when we learn from examples like Eric and Stacey.

How Do You Know If God Is Speaking?

2 responses
January 24, 2013

ear

I love our church. We’re small, and we meet in our home. And we’ll often just sit and listen to hear what God might be saying to us. Some will share visions. Others, dreams. Still others will share Bible verses that are apt for the moment. Through it all, it becomes clear that one word from God is worth a thousand sermons.

Isn’t that what prophets do? Figure out what God is saying for the moment? I haven’t seen anything else motivate a community more than a word that everyone knows is from God.

So how do you know if God is speaking?

Ken Kong: Organic Ministry Among Our Immediate & Extended Families

no responses
January 23, 2013

Check out this cool video done by InterVarsity’s Asian American Ministries at Urbana:

Ken Kong: Organic Ministry Among Our Immediate & Extended Families

We come from cultures where families are really important to us. How does God move through our extended families? How do we participate with God in this? Ken Kong lays out some practical steps in his video, “Organic Ministry Among Our Immediate & Extended Families,” below:

[tentblogger-vimeo 57380544]

Learn more about Ken or InterVarsity Asian American Ministry.

Working within Community – Ten Commandments for Apostolic Leaders

one response
January 22, 2013

courtesy of InterVarsity’s 2100 productions

[This is part of a series on “How Do I Develop an Apostolic Leader?” You can read the other posts here.]

“The hand cannot say to the arm I have no need of you…” I Cor 12:21

It’s tempting for apostolic leaders to think that every new idea should be pursued independently, no matter the cost. But, when we teach apostolic leaders that running without restraint is their Godly task we are in danger of developing misfits who are unable to build a movement of change or have impact on a large scale.

In order for apostolic leaders to achieve the Godly kingdom impact they desire, they must serve within and through a community of faith.

But too often we don’t see this. Either apostolic leaders resist community and letting others speak into their dreams and desires, or the community resists the apostolic leader and their crazy dreams.

This article helps to encourage us towards being healthy in community:

A community where apostolic leaders are humble and let community speak into their dreams, and actions, as well as a community that seeks not to subvert the apostles ideas but focus the apostolic leaders energy to its greatest effect.

So, how do we help apostolic leaders live in that kind of community?

Modeling our Faith

no responses
January 21, 2013

noah coffee

“Dad when I get bigger and bigger I am going to drink coffee too.”

One the funniest things about being a dad is the way that my kids try to copy me, repeat what I say, and really aspire to be like me.

It is fun, makes me feel loved, and also gives me a huge dose of humility as I realize what I show them is really important.

Everything I do, especially the things I do every day, are showing my son what it means to be a man.

He wants to drink coffee because his dad drinks coffee…every day.

This hilarious and sobering fact makes me immediately think about two things:

That I want to show him I read my bible and pray every day, not just drink coffee!
That young leaders who follow me also look at what I do regularly as a sign to what they should be doing too.

I have never told my son that he should drink coffee when he gets bigger. He just sees me doing it and infers that when you are a “big guy” you drink coffee.

Six Marks of a Prophet

10 responses
January 18, 2013

sign post

[This is part of a series on John The Baptist as Prophet. You can read the other posts here!]

My husband and I recently became foster parents of a baby boy. We picked him up from the hospital when he was just 2 days old. His life, very unknown to us, stretches out like a blank manuscript, waiting to be written.

When a smile breaks across his face, I sometimes think about all the things ahead that will make him laugh, bring him joy. When he cries, I know all too well the possible heartbreaks he may face, already having braved a traumatic entry into this world. His life is one big deposit of potential. He could be an artist, a teacher, a criminal, or a revolutionary.

God has marked us all, built in each of us the DNA that will shape the rest of our lives. Here at this blog we talk a lot about apostles, evangelists and prophets. I believe these are both gifts God gives people at certain times for certain purposes, but also ways that God has hard-wired some of us to be. This “wiring” can be seen throughout our life, if we look closely. The journey of our lives often shows us marks, or signposts, of what God is calling us into becoming.

The life of John the Baptist reveals such marks, they are the fingerprints of God’s call on his life and also obedient responses from John and his family. The marks on John’s life as a prophet are clear from the beginning, and stretch throughout his life, giving us a glimpse of what marks may exist in our own lives or in the lives of those around us.

Here are six marks of a prophet in John’s life that pave the way for his life purpose.

A Prophet’s Life Verse

no responses
January 17, 2013

Jeremiah

This is a guest post by Nick Price. Nick is a teaching pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lisle, Ill., and a student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield. He is the proud father of two kids and happily married to his wife of four years, Jenny. He writes regularly on his blog, Prodigal Preacher.

Since becoming a Christian I’ve heard lots of people talk about having a “life verse”. Usually it is a passage of Scripture that they feel embodies their own journey with God. It could be something that they received at their baptism or during confirmation, but whenever they discovered it has (hopefully) become a motto for how they live as a follower of Jesus.

[Do you want help writing a life purpose statement? Here is a great resource to help you do that]

For a while I was unsure whether I had a life verse or not. There are tons of passages in the Bible that I love, but a “life verse”? I wasn’t too sure about that. And then I attended a staff training event with InterVarsity. During one of our sessions together we were encouraged to pray for each other. Eventually it was my turn to be prayed for by my team, so I sat in the middle of the group as the others gathered around and began to pray.

Suddenly, one of them said, “I’m getting the sense that I should pray a verse over you.” And this is what she read:

What Do Jesus & Pete Carroll Have In Common?

one response
January 16, 2013

photo courtesy of @ The News Tribune

By Beau Crosetto

I know this sounds ludicrous that I would mention the two names in the same sentence, but there is one main thing here that I want to draw our attention to.

If you know me I bleed blue and green and just absolutely love the Seahawks and now Pete Carroll. People close to me know he is probably the #1 guy I want to meet in this world because I am fascinated with the way he goes about building a culture and team. He is dogmatic in his approach to building a program. And one clear-cut part of that approach is what catches my eye!

Some of you can’t stand Pete Carroll but don’t write this article off because of that!

He and Jesus have a one thing in common.

*I don’t know anything about Pete’s spiritual beliefs. I am simply using him as a leadership example and not in any way saying he is a Christian leader.*

What My Father-in-Law Taught Me

2 responses
January 14, 2013

barrel

By Beau Crosetto

A lot of time we, as leaders, don’t do what we need to do because we don’t like doing it.

I think this is a growing trend today especially with all the “focus on your strengths” material that is circulating our country.

But my father-in-law (Steve) and I had a great discussion today about doing things that you don’t want to do so you can go to the next level in your leadership and organization.